Saul in Story and Tradition

Book excerpt: The character of Saul and his place within the history, theology, and ideology of ancient Israel have fascinated interpreters for centuries. This book surveys the field of Saul studies. It includes in the first instance essays detailing Saul's place within the biblical narrative and its constituent parts (such as the Deuteronomistic History and the Chronicler's work). The possibility of identifying a Saulide period in the archaeological record is also discussed. A number of essays look at more specific themes and passages within the Saul cycle, such as his heroic nature, kingship, war, and literary balance. The final section of the book looks at the place of Saul within the post-biblical interpretative traditions, with essays devoted to Saul in the works of Josephus, in midrashic literature, in the Qur'an, in selected European literary texts, in the western artistic tradition, and in Handel's oratorio Saul. Contents: Carl S. Ehrlich: Introduction Avraham Faust: Settlement Patterns and State Formation in Southern Samaria and the Archaeology of (a) Saul Siegfried Kreuzer: Saul - not always - at War. A New Perspective on the Rise of Kingship in Israel Steven L. McKenzie: Saul in the Deuteronomistic History Yairah Amit: The Delicate Balance in the Image of Saul and Its Place in the Deuteronomistic History Gregory Mobley: Glimpses of the Heroic Saul Christophe Nihan: Saul among the Prophets (1 Sam 10:10-12 and 19:18-24). The Reworking of Saul's Figure in the Context of the Debate on Charismatic Prophecy in the Persian Era Mark W. Hamilton: The Creation of Saul's Royal Body. Reflections on 1 Samuel 8-10 Marsha C. White: Saul and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 1 and 14 Samuel A. Meier: The Sword. From Saul to David C. Mark McCormick: From Box to Throne. The Development of the Ark in DtrH and P Gary N. Knoppers: Israel's First King and the Kingdom of YHWH in the hands of the sons of David. The Place of the Saulide Monarchy in the Chronicler's Historiography Louis H. Feldman: Josephus' View of Saul Hanna Liss: The Innocent King. Saul in Rabbinic Exegesis Walid A. Saleh: What if you refuse, when ordered to fight? King Saul (Talut) in the Qur'an and Post-Quranic Literature Rudiger Bartelmus: Handel and Jennens' Oratorio Saul. A Late Musical and Dramatic Rehabilitation of the Figure of Saul, Misrepresented in theOld Testament as the Diametrical Opposite of David Sarah Nicholson: Catching the Poetic Eye. Saul Reconceived in Modern Literature Marc Michael Epstein: Seeing Saul